The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015, are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 23, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

While the Lego® constructions within these board-book pages are ingenious, Kenney’s artistry may be lost on those not yet beyond Duplo® blocks.

From an apple to an owl to a zipper, Legos® make up almost every object in this book. Each page features a Lego® sculpture, the first letter of the item constructed out of the blocks and a one-word caption labeling the object, all against a solid background. A full alphabet is included on the last page with, again, each letter built out of bricks. That a man can make a living building with blocks is astounding, and several of Kenney’s Lego® creations are impressive and clever, particularly the shoe, the violin and the zipper. Many of the items will be easy for young children to identify in their Lego® forms, such as a house, an owl, a train and a red wagon. Others will be difficult for youngsters to name without some adult assistance, like the goblin, the kites, the nails and the yo-yo. The choice to publish this as a board book is puzzling, since children enjoying board books are typically not building with choke-hazard Legos®, and those kids who love Legos® tend to find board books babyish.

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